Battery vent strip

Abstract

A removable strip adapted to be placed in a gas tight relationship with the top of a battery enclosure housing a plurality of channels and providing gaseous communication from a plurality of battery cells to a flame arrester located internally in the battery.

We claim: 
     
       1. A battery having an housing including: (a) top member for enclosing a plurality of separated cells, said top member having a plurality of ports, each of which are in gaseous communication with respective cells;   (b) a flame arrester element disposed within said housing and being in gaseous communication with at least one of said cells; and   (c) means for removably covering said ports when in association with said top and placing said other cells in gaseous communication with said flame arrester element.   
     
     
       2. The battery of claim 1 in which said removably covering means includes an enclosed channel. 
     
     
       3. The battery of claim 1 in which said removably covering means includes a plurality of extension elements, each extending through a respective port and each defining a bore therein, and an enclosed means for defining a gaseous communication path between said bores. 
     
     
       4. The battery of claim 1 in which said removably covering means includes a multiplicity of extension elements, each defining a bore therein and extending through a respective port and one of said extension elements being in gaseous communication with said one cell, the other of said extension elements being in gaseous communication with said one element. 
     
     
       5. The battery of claim 4 in which said removably covering means includes an enclosed means for defining a gaseous path between said other of said extension elements and said one extension element. 
     
     
       6. A battery having a housing containing a plurality of cells separated by interior walls including: (a) a top member having a plurality of ports, each of which are in gaseous communication with respective cells;   (b) a flame arrester element disposed within said housing with at least one of said cells being in gaseous communication with said flame arrester element;   (c) a removable support member covering said ports when positioned on said top member;   (d) a plurality of extensions extending from said support member and each defining a bore therein, each of said extensions extending through a respective port and placing each of said bores in gaseous communication with a respective cell when said support member is positioned on said top member; and   (e) channel means within said support member for placing all of said bores in gaseous communication with said cells and said flame arrester element.   
     
     
       7. The battery of claim 6 in which said extensions are annular cylindrical members adapted to mate in a gas tight relationship with said top. 
     
     
       8. The battery of claim 7 including more than two cylindrical members with an inside member in gaseous communication with said one cell. 
     
     
       9. The batter having an enclosure of claim 1 wherein said removably covering means including: (a) a planar strip having a plurality of annular, open-ended extensions defining an enclosed bore, each of said extensions being integrally connected to said strip around the entire upper circumference thereof and adapted to fit within said ports when said means is associated with said top, and   (b) manifold means for gaseously connecting said bores.